NORMAN — A University of Oklahoma professor who had worked with a child advocacy organization has been arrested on complaints of rape and lewd acts with a child, police said Tuesday.

Dwain Pellebon is seen in this image from his OU web page: http://faculty-staff.ou.edu/P/Dwain.A.Pellebon-1/.

Dwain Pellebon, 54, was arrested Friday on two complaints of rape and one complaint of lewd acts with a child younger than 16, Norman police Capt. Tom Easley said.

Pellebon was booked at the Cleveland County jail and released on $75,000 bail Friday.

He has not been charged in district court, Easley said, but an investigation continues.

Pellebon, an OU associate professor of social work, had been a member of the board of directors for the Cleveland County chapter of Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASA, an organization that advocates for children in the juvenile court and foster systems.

Phone calls and emails to Pellebon on Tuesday were not returned.

Kathleen Romero, the executive director for Cleveland County CASA, said Pellebon went on a leave of absence from the board earlier this year.

The board will hold a special meeting Wednesday to make a decision on how to handle the matter, Romero said.

Professor is on paid

administrative leave

OU spokeswoman Catherine Bishop said Pellebon had been placed on paid administrative leave. Pellebon could be moved to unpaid administrative leave as more details come to light, Bishop said.